Fixtures for the first phase of the new season are now published – see Fixtures pages for all the details.

BWPL kicks off with both women’s divisions in action at Haberdashers and the Jason Kenny Centre, Bolton, on 21 and 22 September.

Then it’s the turn of the men, all three divisions playing at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, on 28 and 29 September – a busy weekend of 24 matches on two pitches. 

Penguin have announced the death just one month short of his 99th birthday of William “Nobby” Neivens who, as one of Great Britain’s leading referees, often officiated in top games of the original men’s National League in the 1960s.
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Nobby was the oldest member of the Penguin club and a survivor of the very successful men’s teams of the 1940s and 1950s. This photo is one of the last images of Nobby in pink jumper and flowery shirt during celebrations for his 97th birthday along with fellow Penguin stalwarts John Whelan and Malcolm Cromer. 

Nobby's son Guy was a member of the Penguin team that won the inaugural British Deepwater Championships in 1986.

Two prestige BWPL events – the Super 5s on 8/9 February and men’s Championship 1 and 2 finale, 8/9 March – are to go ahead in the new season even though they will clash with national squad training weekends.

League Chairman David Andrews today expressed his frustration that Committee attempts to avoid the problem had failed. “We are in a situation where some of the country’s best young players will be left in a dilemma over which they attend – clearly wholly unsatisfactory.”

The League’s 2024/25 programming is based on its fixtures blueprint which, for the coming season, was published in September 2023, enabling clubs to plan ahead and organise their own events.

In March this year, Mr Andrews explains, the League was asked for the first time to make changes in its programme to accommodate national squad training weekends at Sandwell.

“With the best will in the world, this wasn’t possible. Clubs and players have their plans . . . the League has already booked pools,” Mr Andrews explained. “This should not have happened because there are numerous weekends on the calendar free of BWPL events – and others where we ensure that BWPL weekends are either for ‘men-only’ or ‘women-only’.

“What makes this so upsetting is that League officials have been battling for some time to avoid this sort of predicament, including attending three meetings at Loughborough with senior Swim England staff in the past two years.”

Swim England offered the possibility of BWPL sharing Sandwell diving pit on 8/9 March while the main pool is booked for national training (a second weekend originally offered was no longer available). “Using the diving pit was obviously never a possibility for matches involving the country’s leading teams,” declared Mr Andrews.

The League Committee met this week and agreed to send a letter of protest to Swim England’s Water Polo Leadership Group – but conceded there was no alternative but to maintain its programme in line with the blueprint.

The League is committed to engage with Swim England staff and volunteers to prevent this type of situation recurring, but stresses these discussions need to be undertaken against a background of a coherent and agreed plan for the sport.

It was a black day for Mid Sussex Marlins water polo players when the senior water polo section of their swimming club was closed for financial reasons.

An abrupt end to Marlins’ BWPL involvement? Not a bit of it!

Up stepped Worthing, who agreed to welcome the girls’ team into its set-up as Worthing Ladies. Worthing immediately applied to take over MSM’s League membership, which the League committee agreed at its recent meeting.

So the Marlins players will still compete in Division 2 in the new season – but under a new name.

Actually, the change is not that dramatic because many of the Marlins girls started their water polo careers in the Worthing junior section. Some began their senior careers with Haywards Heath in the former Women’s National League – until a merger between Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill led to the creation of Mid Sussex Marlins.

Lauren Hand (Photo: Trevor Hyde), a longstanding Marlins player, says: “It’s unfortunate in the past few months that Mid Sussex Marlins decided at relatively short notice to close the senior water polo section due to financial shortcomings – and this despite considerable fundraising carried out by team members and supporters.
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“Some members have been playing in the National League for almost 20 years, so they were hugely disappointed that our team’s future was at risk. The change is a significant undertaking for Worthing, but we very much look forward to seeing our men’s and women’s team in BWPL action this year.”

BWPL have awarded the annual Dave Warriner Memorial Trophy to Nigel Greenwood, best known for his key role as player and coach in the City of Birmingham club, but at one time a top division player with Cheltenham.

The trophy recognises outstanding service to the League and to the sport in general. In Nigel’s case, it also acknowledged his work as a driving force behind the launch of the Conference League. Our photo shows Nigel (left) receiving the trophy from BWPL competition co-ordinator, Mike Hesketh.

The award was announced at BWPL’s annual meeting. The Columbus Direct awards, for outstanding contributions to the League, went to Izzy Howe (City of Manchester) and Dan Laxton (Welsh Wanderers).

Exactly one hundred and fifty years ago, poor old Custer made his last, fatal stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  It was also, just as significantly, the year that Polytechnic came into being – a proud landmark the club will celebrate with a grand dinner in London on 20 September.

Former player Michael McCartney has produced a splendid history, comprehensively documenting Poly’s many successes, including a record 18 men’s National League and BWPL titles.

The club was originally part of the Polytechnic of Central London Institute, which could boast among its achievements the staging of the 1908 Olympics at White City. The Olympic pool, at the City University side, was used by Poly for training until a few years ago – when, unfortunately, the roof fell in.

Poly became famous as a touring club. The World Encyclopaedia of Water Polo records an 1896 game between Poly and Brussels in Vienna, which apparently sparked development of the sport in Hungary.

The ‘modern’ Poly took shape in the 1950s with a team built around the outstanding talents of Peter Pass, who played for GB in the 1956 Olympics along with club mate Bob Knights. Poly’s domination of the UK club water polo was to continue through the 1970s and into the 1990s.

Go to Poly History for lots more information.​​

The second period proved highly significant for City of Manchester men as they defeated Polytechnic 12-10 to win the BWPL Champions Cup at Coventry today.

At the start of the quarter, Poly recovered from 6-4 down to level at 6-6 . But then Manchester hit a purple patch, scoring four in double-quick time through Conor Lynch, Harry Dunkerley, Eleftheios Chelioudakis and Dan Padden to build a 10-6 lead. 
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It was a deficit from which Poly were never able to recover, despite rallying strongly in the final stages.
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Earlier, Welsh Wanderers took third place, defeating Sutton & Cheam 16-7.

City of Manchester achieved the mission of becoming women's double champions for the first time when they followed up their Super 5s success with an 11-3 defeat of Liverpool Lizards in the final of the Champions Cup at Coventry today.

The match was a repeat of the final two years ago, which Liverpool won. It was a different story this time, however, as Manchester dominated from the start, scoring seven times before Liverpool managed a reply. 
Manchester scorers were Izzy Howe (4), Lucy Blenkinship (2), Rosie Huck (2), Liv Henderson, Brooke Tafazolli and Jade Smith. 

The trophy and medals were presented to Manchester by League President Trevor Pledger and Richard Blackshaw, Swim England's Head of Performance.

Reigning champions Polytechnic needed a sudden-death penalty shoot-out drama to beat Welsh Wanderers at Coventry today and set up a men's Champions Cup gold medal clash with City of Manchester.

Poly were never ahead at any point in the four periods of the game. Wanderers had a two-goal lead no less than four times - including an 8-6 advantage when Jo Jenkins-Delf scored from distance early in the last quarter.

A goal by Justin Tubbergh brought Poly up to 8-7 early in the final period. Had Wanderers managed to convert a man-up chance shortly afterwards, they might well have won through. But the London side survived that scare and pulled up to 8-8 through Chris Icely - leaving a penalty shoot-out to separate the sides.

Both teams had one of their five shots saved, taking a thrilling match to 12-12. At 13-13, the Welsh shot again - and missed - leaving Liam Neill to slot the winner at 14-13.

​​Manchester qualified for the final by defeating Sutton & Cheam 11-7.

Photo: Tim Rezelman scores a penalty for Poly against Wanderers in the second period.